TOP GIRLS STUDY GUIDE

Table ** Contents

1. Socio-political context ..................................................................................................................... 3 feminism ......................................................................................................................................... 3 the ***** of feminism .................................................................................................................... 3 a comparison of radical, socialist, liberal, and cultural femisim. .................................................... 5 socialist feminism ............................................................................................................................ 6 **** period: the 1980s .................................................................................................................... 7 second-**** feminism ................................................................................................................... 7 conservative ******** ..................................................................................................................... 7 rise ** postmodernism .................................................................................................................... 7 intersectionality .............................................................................................................................. 7 setting ............................................................................................................................................. 7 the ******** era .............................................................................................................................. 8 ******** thatcher ........................................................................................................................... 8 thatcherism ..................................................................................................................................... 8 class struggles ............................................................................................................................... 10 changing ********* dynamics ...................................................................................................... 11 2. Theatrical influences ..................................................................................................................... 11 brecht’s epic theatre ..................................................................................................................... 12 surrealism ...................................................................................................................................... 14 absurdism ...................................................................................................................................... 15 feminist theatre ............................................................................................................................ 15 ********** drama ............................................................................................................................ 16 ******* - social realism: ................................................................................................................. 16 postmodernism ............................................................................................................................. 17 3. Playwright’s intention ................................................................................................................... 17 ******** critique ............................................................................................................................ 18 ************* *********** ............................................................................................................. 18 theatrical innovation ..................................................................................................................... 19 ********* identity and authenticity ............................................................................................... 19

4. Genre & style ................................................................................................................................ 20 postmodernism ................................................................................................................................. 20 ********* of a master narrative ..................................................................................................... 21 deconstruction: ............................................................................................................................. 21 pastiche: ........................................................................................................................................ 22 ***** of *** author: ...................................................................................................................... 23 ********** / non-linear narratives: ............................................................................................. 23

5. Structure: ...................................................................................................................................... 24 ************** monologues: ........................................................................................................ 26

6. Plot ................................................................................................................................................ 27 act *** .......................................................................................................................................... 27 act *** .......................................................................................................................................... 29 act three ........................................................................................................................................ 32

7. Language ....................................................................................................................................... 33

8. ******* ........................................................................................................................................... 36 ***** and set: flexible ................................................................................................................... 36 props: representative props ......................................................................................................... 36 costumes: ****** and character-driven ........................................................................................ 36 lighting: ......................................................................................................................................... 37

9. Characters ..................................................................................................................................... 37 act 1: the dinner party .................................................................................................................. 38 act 2: joyce’s home / marlene’s office .......................................................................................... 44 the interviews ............................................................................................................................... 45 10. Symbols ..................................................................................................................................... 47 angie’s dress .................................................................................................................................. 47 clothing ......................................................................................................................................... 47

11. Themes ...................................................................................................................................... 48 power, success, *** ************* ................................................................................................ 48 sisterhood *** solidarity............................................................................................................... 49 women’s stories and identity ........................................................................................................ 50 class and social mobility ................................................................................................................ 51 **** under the ********** ............................................................................................................... 51 ********** .................................................................................................................................. 52

12. Relevance .................................................................................................................................. 53

13. ********** ................................................................................................................................ 54

1. SOCIO-POLITICAL CONTEXT

Feminism

Feminism ** a social and political movement ********** for the equal rights, opportunities, *** treatment ** all genders, **** a focus ** *********** and dismantling systems of oppression and discrimination b3ased on gender.

As society has evolved, the fight for equal ****** has as well. The ********* ***** ** feminism have each had ***** own goals and ideals.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ The waves of feminism

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***** Wave ******** (**** 19^th to Early 20^th Century):

***** Wave Feminism ******* primarily on securing legal rights and suffrage (voting rights) for women. Key events include the ****** Falls Convention in 1848, which ******** equal ****** for women, and *** suffrage movements ** ******* countries that *** ** women gaining the right ** vote. The First Wave also addressed issues such as property rights, ************ rights, and access ** education.

the formation of various feminist organizations *** campaigns for equal rights.

https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/s7rGF00TNhgElbc5JfL3TSA13qw=/ 1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages- 174007370-58b886035f9b58af5c2a32d6.jpg

Third Wave ******** (1990s to Early 2000s):

Second Wave Feminism (196** to 1980s):ⁱ

Second Wave Feminism expanded the focus ****** legal rights to address social, cultural, and economic inequalities. This wave emphasized issues such as reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, sexual liberation, and ****** roles. Key ****** include the publication of ***** Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963, which sparked the modern feminist movement, as **** as

***** **** Feminism sought to address the limitations and critiques of *** Second Wave, including its **** of ***************** and inclusivity. **** wave focused ** embracing diversity, *********** gender norms, *** amplifying the voices of marginalized groups ****** the ******** movement, including women of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities. Key themes include intersectionality, body positivity, sex positivity, and *********** https://blog.ipleaders.in/wp-

through individual expression. content/uploads/2021/01/1_QVYcwX2v_28Ot91ZJ-FAFw.jpeg

Fourth Wave ******** (Early 2010s ** Present):

****** **** ******** builds **** the ************ and critiques of previous ***** ***** ********* digital technologies and social media platforms to organize, mobilize, and amplify ******** activism and discourse.

This wave ********* issues such as online harassment, ************ justice, environmental feminism, and global solidarity. Key events include movements **** #***** *** #TimesUp, which have *********** *** ********** of sexual harassment and assault while advocating for accountability and ******** changes.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.harvard.edu%2Fgazette%2Fstory%2F2020%2F01%2Fplay-dramatizes-steinems-role-

in-the-feminist-

In 1977 the bestselling book Superwoman (Shirley Conran) *** published. Superwoman ******* that the modern, liberated woman could have it all: a handsome husband, a ****** family, an ********* house, a lucrative job, a fulfilling career and a sensational sex life. **** her new computer *** university degree, a superwoman could fight discrimination and **** her way to the top. This confidence is reinforced by Joyce’s sarcastic words in *** final scene of Top Girls,

“You’ll be on a yacht, you’** ** **** ** Coca-Cola and *** wait, the eighties is going to be stupendous all right.”

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Superwoman-Every-Womans-HouseholdManagement/dp/0140042180

A comparison of Radical, Socialist, Liberal, and Cultural Feminism:

Aspect

Radical Feminism

Cultural Feminism

Liberal Feminism

********* Feminism

**** Beliefs

- ***** to dismantle patriarchal ********** *** challenge societal norms that ******* women.

- Views patriarchy as *** root cause ** women's oppression.

- ********** the importance ** ******** ********* and representations in challenging ****** inequality.

- Advocates for *** recognition and celebration of women's ******* cultural identities and experiences.

- ******* ** achieving gender equality through ***** and political reforms, such ** equal rights, reproductive rights, and workplace equality.

- Seeks ** address gender disparities ****** *** framework of ******* ********* and capitalism.

- Values individualism, autonomy, *** personal

- Advocates for the liberation ** ***** ****** *** context ** broader

socioeconomic and

political systems.

- Believes **** women's liberation ** intertwined with the broader struggle for ******** and ****** justice for all ******* of society.

Approach to Change

- ****** radical, transformative ****** through revolutionary means, such as direct action and ********** organizing.

- Emphasizes consciousness raising and cultural interventions to challenge dominant narratives and norms.

- Values education, art, and media as tools for social change.

choice, ******* ** remove legal and social barriers to women's full participation ** society.

- Often ******* ** ********* existing institutions and systems to achieve ****** equality, rather **** ******* to fundamentally ********* them.

- Tends ** prioritize incremental change and working within ******** political structures.

- Advocates *** collective action and the redistribution of wealth and ********* ** create a more equitable society for all.

- Critiques capitalism as inherently oppressive *** exploitative, and advocates for socialist policies such as ********* healthcare, education, and housing.

Key Figures and Works

- Simone ** Beauvoir,

"The Second Sex"

- Shulamith Firestone,

"The Dialectic of Sex"

- ****** Dworkin,

"Intercourse"

- Angela Davis, "Women,

Race & Class"

- bell hooks, "Ain't I a

Woman?"

- Audre Lorde, "Sister

Outsider"

- ****** Anzaldúa,

"Borderlands/La

Frontera"

- Judith Butler, "Gender

Trouble"

- Betty Friedan, "The

******** Mystique"

- Mary Wollstonecraft, "A *********** of *** Rights

** Woman"

- Simone de Beauvoir, "The

Second Sex"

- Silvia Federici, "Caliban

and the Witch"

- ****** Davis, "Women,

Race & Class"

- Nancy Fraser, "Fortunes

of Feminism"

- Barbara Ehrenreich,

"The ****** of Men"

Socialist Feminism

Socialist feminism combines the ideas of socialism *** feminism, ******* that liberation *** only be achieved by working ** end both the economic *** cultural ******* of women's oppression. Socialist ********* criticise the traditional Marxist **** for its focus on class conflict without ****** *** ********* ** gender-based oppression.

In Top Girls, ******* ******** ** socialist feminism can ** found. The play ******** a critique of *** capitalist system and its impact ** women of different classes.

Marlene's success in *** corporate ***** ** contrasted with the struggles of her working-***** sister, Joyce. This disparity in their experiences suggests a ******** of a ******** that seeks ********** *********** within the ******* system, ****** than challenging the

system itself. https://time.com/4008060/women-strike-equality-1970/

The play ******** the dual burden faced by ***** - ** workers ** the public sphere, and ** unpaid laborers ** the private sphere (caring for children, *********** a home). **** is a key concern of socialist feminism.

In the final act, *** heated conversation ******* ******* and Joyce ******** differing ***** on work, class, *** feminism **** echo the debates within socialist feminism. Joyce criticizes Marlene's individualistic ******** to success, while ******* argues **** anyone can succeed if **** work **** enough, ignoring the systemic barriers that *** limit opportunities *** women, particularly workingclass women.

So while Top Girls doesn't explicitly align itself with socialist feminism, ** certainly explores many ** *** themes *** ideas that are central to this perspective.

Time Period: The 1980s

The 1980s were a ******* time period *** ******** plays, marked by *********** socio-political shifts *** the emergence of a ******* feminist movement. Several factors contribute to the importance of this era for feminist plays.

Second-wave Feminism

*** 198** saw the continuation of the second-wave feminist movement, which began in the 1960s *** focused on issues such ** reproductive rights, ********* equality, and gender roles. Feminist ********* and writers ********** patriarchal structures and ****** for women's rights across ******* spheres ** society. Top Girls ******* in this context, ********** *** ongoing ******* and ********* within feminism.

Conservative Backlash

Despite the ***** made ** feminists in the preceding decades, the 1980s also witnessed a ************ backlash ******* feminism and progressive social movements. The ******** ** conservative leaders such as ******** Thatcher ** *** UK and ****** Reagan ** the US signalled a shift ******* more conservative ****** and economic policies and a ******** ** social ******* programs. This political climate heightened tensions around ****** of gender and class, ********* a backdrop for ***** like Top Girls to critique prevailing power structures.

Rise of Postmodernism

The 1980s *** the **** of Postmodernism as a ******** cultural *** ************ force.

Postmodernism’s questioning of grand narratives aimed to challenge traditional ******* ** identity, truth, and history. Plays **** Top Girls ******** postmodern techniques such as fragmentation, pastiche, and intertextuality to deconstruct dominant discourses and offer alternative perspectives on gender *** society.

Intersectionality

******** discourse in *** 1980s increasingly recognized *** importance ** intersectionality, the interconnected nature ** ****** identities such ** gender, race, class, and sexuality. Plays like *** Girls explored the complexities of intersectional ******** by featuring diverse female characters **** ********* historical ******* and social backgrounds. Through these characters, the play highlights *** intersecting *********** faced ** ***** and *** need *** solidarity ****** difference.

Setting

The play ** set in the United Kingdom. Apart from the fact the play draws from Churchill’s ******* heritage and her experiences ** a woman ** England, it uses ********** ** England’s Thatcherite ******** of the time and characters **** English history and the British ******** sphere to weave its tapestry ** intertextual references, firmly contextualising its setting.

*** Thatcher era

The Thatcher (**** known ** Thatcherite) era refers ** the time of Margaret Thatcher's leadership ** the ** (1979-1990), a period characterised ** conservative policies, neoliberal ******** reforms, and a focus on individualism and market forces.

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher, born ** October 13, 1925, in Grantham, England, was a British politician who ****** as the ***** Minister of *** United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.

She *** the leader of the Conservative Party and the first woman ** hold the office of Prime Minister in the UK.

Thatcher implemented conservative economic policies, including deregulation, privatisation, *** free-market reforms, earning her the nickname "The **** Lady" *** her strong leadership style and ************** stance.

https://www.biography.com/political-figures/margaret-thatcher

During *** tenure, she faced challenges such ** the ********* War and the miners' ****** but also achieved notable successes, ************ in revitalizing the British economy.

Thatcher's political legacy remains controversial, **** supporters ********* her with revitalizing the ******* economy and opponents criticizing her for policies they argue exacerbated ****** inequality. *** passed **** ** April 8, 2013, *** her impact on British ******** *** society endures.

Thatcherism

Thatcherism ** a **** that ****** to *** political and economic ******** associated with ******* Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

It represents a conservative approach to governance characterized by free-market principles, deregulation, privatization, and individualism.

https://www.biography.com/political-figures/margaret-thatcher

1. Individualism *** Personal Success:

*********** promoted the **** of individual responsibility *** self-reliance, emphasizing the importance of personal success and achievement. **** ethos is reflected ** *** character of Marlene, who embodies the Thatcherite ideal of the ‘self-**** woman’.

Marlene's career-driven ambition and ************* to succeed ** the corporate ***** epitomise the ****** of Thatcherism, which prioritised meritocracy (a society governed by people selected according to merit) *** rewarded entrepreneurialism.

2. Meritocracy and Class Mobility:

*********** was characterized ** a belief in meritocracy, the idea that individuals ****** be rewarded based on their talents and ******* rather **** ***** social background.

In Top Girls, Marlene's **** from a working-***** background to a high-******* job at the Top Girls ********** Agency *********** **** narrative of ***** mobility and social ascent.

However, the play also exposes the limitations ** meritocracy, ** Marlene's success comes at the expense of her ******** relationships and ***** integrity.

https://www.biography.com/political-figures/margaret-thatcher

3. ************ and ******** Rationalism:

*********** ********* for deregulation *** *** reduction of ***** intervention in the economy, favouring free-****** principles and privatisation. This economic rationalism is reflected in *** play's portrayal of the corporate world, where competition, ****** motives, and ****** ****** dominate.

Marlene's cutthroat ******** ** ******** and her willingness to exploit others for personal **** ******* *** values of Thatcherite capitalism, ***** prioritised economic efficiency *** shareholder value above *** else.

4: ****** and Power: Thatcherism has been closely associated with debates ****** gender and power, as ******** herself was the first female Prime Minister of the UK. While *********** celebrated Thatcher as a symbol of ****** empowerment *** achievement, it also ***** criticism for its failure ** ******* the ********** inequalities ***** by women in society. ** "Top Girls," Churchill interrogates the complexities of gender and ***** within the context ** Thatcherism, ********* how women navigate *********** ********** *** capitalist ********** to assert ****** and autonomy.

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-belfast-shipyard-workers-protest-against-margaret-thatcher-20233352.html

5. Social ******* *** Austerity:

*********** ushered in an era of austerity measures (***** economic ******** ******** to ****** the government's ****** deficit) and cuts ** social welfare programs, which ****************** affected marginalised communities, including women and working-***** families. The play subtly critiques these policies through its portrayal of ********** like Angie, a young girl **** a disadvantaged background who dreams of a better **** but faces systemic barriers to success. ** ************ *** human costs of Thatcherite austerity, Churchill challenges the myth of trickle-**** ********* *** exposes the harsh ********* of inequality and ****** injustice.

Class struggles

*** 1980s ** *** ** were marked by profound class struggles as the Thatcher government's policies ******** the socio-******** landscape. Deindustrialisation *** ** widespread job losses and economic hardship in workingclass communities, while the rise of *** ******* sector created *** forms of unstable jobs and ****** inequality.

*** Girls reflects these ********* through characters **** Angie, who ********** *** challenges faced by young ****** in deindustrialised regions ********* with unemployment. Thatcherite ideals of social mobility and meritocracy are ******** through the character ** Marlene, who rises **** a working-class background to a high-powered job,

https://www.retrocards.co.uk/margaret-thatcher-conservative-

election-poster-30x40cm-art-print highlighting both the ************* and limitations ** upward mobility in Thatcherite Britain.

The *** also saw austerity measures and cuts ** social ******* programs, disproportionately ********* vulnerable communities.

********** like Angie's mother in *** Girls embody the struggles ** working-***** families facing poverty and inadequate support **** the state. Through ***** themes, ***** Churchill offers a nuanced

portrayal ** class relations in Thatcherite https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-belfast-shipyard-workers-protest-against-

Britain. margaret-thatcher-20233352.html

**** invites audiences to reflect on the enduring legacy of these struggles and their relevance in ************ society, all the ***** ************ and enforcing the play’s ********* feminist message.

Changing Workplace dynamics

Top Girls explores Britain's changing workplace dynamics for ***** during *** 1980s. The play portrays both *** opportunities and challenges faced by ***** as they navigate corporate ************ and ****** for professional success. ********** like Marlene ****** *** aspirations ** ambitious ****** women who seek to break through glass ceilings *** ****** ********** in ************* workplaces. However, *** play also highlights *** sacrifices *** compromises that women must often make to succeed ** such environments, as well ** the tensions ******* personal ambition and familial responsibilities.

Through its portrayal ** ******* ****** characters from ********* historical ******* and social backgrounds, *** Girls offers a multifaceted *********** of the ************ of women's experiences in the changing landscape of British workplaces, inviting audiences to reflect ** the ******* ********* for gender equality *** empowerment.

3. THEATRICAL INFLUENCES

Being a work of Postmodern theatre, Top Girls ******* an array of theatrical styles *** ******* with ******** ** Churchill’s influences to create a nuanced ***** ** theatre **** invites the audience to ****** its own ******* and reflect critically and ************ on the ********* of *** play.

Churchill ******* the audience to ***** a distanced view of the ****** ********* on stage.

Brecht’s Epic Theatre

Churchill **** an episodic structure and a non-****** narrative ** Top Girls, reminiscent of Bertolt

Brecht's **** Theatre. Like Brecht, Churchill ******* alienation techniques (known as the

*********** effect (** V-Effect) ** disrupt audience immersion and encourage critical reflection ** *** themes and characters.

The play's fragmented structure and juxtaposition ** different ********** ******* challenge conventional notions of linear storytelling, inviting audiences ** actively engage **** the **** and its socio-political implications.

Top Girls ********** ********* historical periods and characters, blurring *** ********** between **** and present. By incorporating characters **** Lady Nijo, Pope Joan, and Patient Griselda ********* contemporary ******* **** Marlene and Angie, Churchill disrupts conventional notions of linear time *** historical progress. This technique encourages *** ******** to view the characters and their experiences from a broader, more historical perspective, ************ *** continuity of women's struggles across time.

The fictionalisation of ********** ********** (and ********* characters like Griselda or Dull Gret) could **** ** argued to ** an example of historification, a technique frequently https://www.britannica.com/biograp employed by Brecht ** *** plays, in which effects from the past hy/Bertolt- Brecht *** ****** in *** present ** make social or commentary.

****** employed historification to highlight the potential for political change: **** theatre showcases ********** events to suggest that things could have **** different, and that our current **** doesn't have to remain unchanged either.

The ******** ******* the dinner scene in *** Girls and *** contemporary ****** *** be viewed as a use of historification, another alienation technique.

While elements such ** non linear, non chronological ** a fragmented structure are ** home in the Postmodern genre, many of these elements have strong ***** in Brecht’s Epic Theatre. We **** remember, though, that *** Churchill, Postmodernism as an established style did not yet exist.

********* ************ a general Brechtian ********* in her work:

“I think *** writers, directors *** actors working in ******* ** the seventies his ideas have been absorbed into *** general **** of shared knowledge and attitudes, so **** without constantly ******** ** ****** we nevertheless ******* things in a *** we ***** not have without him.”

https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/caryl-churchill/

A strong parallel between Churchill and ****** lies in their dedication to ********* politics.

During *** 1980s, socialist playwrights aimed to mobilise the public by portraying working-***** *********** and highlighting economic disparities. Churchill’s commitment to challenging the status quo ********* with Brecht’s belief that art ******** **** the ruling ***** is essentially political.

Brecht employs techniques ** alienation to **** audiences thinking critically *** questioning societal norms. In Top Girls, we ******* various ******** such ** an episodic structure, non-linear storytelling, historification, and multi-rolling of actors.

Top Girls has been ********* by critics as a 'domestic epic' which ***** how ****** and ideas that have ************* **** associated as a part ** the ‘******** realm’ have been ******** with Brecht's epic theatre.

Instead of presenting a realistic production ** which all elements work together cohesively, Brecht aimed for the ******** elements of the production to ** noticeable. **** way, *** ******** doesn't get **** in the performance; rather, they *** given the chance to critically evaluate ***** ********* **** a social perspective. The episodic format of the play *** ******** to ***** the audience's consciousness. We see glimmers ** this episodic structure in the *** that *** interviews in Act 2 are structured.

Churchill’s refusal ** provide ***** ******* or a linear narrative ******* Brecht’s goal of avoiding a cathartic experience, thus ****** the ******** to take ****** on the social ****** presented.

Additionally, the central debate in Top Girls and the multi-roling ** cast members **** Brecht’s techniques ** create an alienation effect *** the audience. However, ********* also aimed ** provide female actors with more substantial roles as a reason *** employing multi-roling, offering them opportunities to ******* characters previously unavailable to **** ** ******* dominated by male voices.

https://theatre-or-theater.tumblr.com/post/184094698116/top-girls-national-theatre-review-top-notch

Surrealism

National Theatre: A ********* ***** to *** Girls

In *** ******* scene ** "Top Girls," Caryl Churchill employs elements of Surrealism ** create a dream-like atmosphere **** sets *** **** *** the rest of the play. The scene unfolds in a *********** setting—a ****** dinner party held by Marlene to celebrate *** ****** promotion at the Top Girls Employment Agency. This surreal gathering ****** the boundaries of time and space, creating a sense of ************** *** ************ for the audience.

One ** *** surreal aspects of the scene is the presence of historical and fictional women from different **** periods, all ******** together in one space.

Characters like Lady **** (a 13th-century Japanese concubine), **** Joan (a legendary female Pope), *** Patient Griselda (a character from Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale") interact with contemporary

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-what-is-surrealism

******* like Marlene *** Isabella.

This blending ** historical periods and ******** archetypes creates a ***** ** temporal dislocation

Churchill wrote *** Girls ****** *** *** of Margaret Thatcher's ********** in *** UK, and the play reflects her ******** of Thatcherite policies and their impact on women and ************ communities.

******* characters like Marlene, *** embodies the ethos of individualism *** ******** ******** by Thatcherism, ********* explores *** ************** and inequalities of neoliberal capitalism. The play interrogates the myth ** *********** *** the ***** ** ****** mobility in a ******* marked by class ********* and social inequality.

Methuen ****** Drama: Top Girls Learning Guide

********** Innovation

As a playwright known for her theatrical experimentation, Churchill intended Top Girls to **** the boundaries of traditional ************ *** challenge audience expectations. The play's non-linear narrative structure, ********** dialogue, *** surrealistic ******** reflect Churchill's commitment to theatrical innovation and her rejection of ************ dramatic forms. ** disrupting the naturalistic **** of the ********* and incorporating elements ** absurdism *** meta-theatricality, Churchill invites audiences ** engage with

the **** on a deeper, more intellectual National Theatre: *** Girls ******** Guide level.

Exploring Identity *** Authenticity

American Repertory Theatre

Churchill ******** themes ** identity and authenticity ** "Top Girls," inviting audiences to question *** *********** nature of gender roles and ****** norms. Through ********** like Marlene *** Isabella, who navigate the tensions between conformity and individuality, Churchill examines the ************ of self-definition *** self-expression in a changing world. The play's *** of historical and ********* characters *********** the fluidity of ******** and *** performative nature of gender, challenging audiences to reconsider their assumptions about ******** and authenticity.

5. GENRE & STYLE

‘Top Girls’, while written in the 1980s *** ***** be viewed ** a contemporary play, as its complex feminist themes, social and political satire, complex *** ********* characters and themes *** innovative theatrical elements **** *** play as challenging and relevant as it was when first written.

Top Girls, like **** Postmodern works, embraces the concept of a ‘Supermarket of Styles.’ It ** **** theatrical and ***** itself ** to ********* from and referencing stylistic ***** *** conventions **** a range ** 2*** century ****** and genres such as social realism, epic theatre, surrealism and *** absurd. (See THEATRICAL INFLUENCES) This ‘supermarket of styles’ is a defining feature of Postmodern Theatre.

*“******* don’t give answers - instead they ask questions.” - Caryl Churchill*

Postmodernism

At the core of Postmodern plays is the ********* of a single truth. We as a postmodern society are bombarded with multiple, ********** realities. Like so many writers, ************ and ******** ** the 2*** (and 2*** century), ** *** encouraged to *** questions about *** existence and ultimately form *** *** meaning. While ***** is no uniform ********* or style that determines the way Postmodern ******* is created, ***** *** ******* theatrical conventions that appear ************ in ***** of this movement.

************* is a *********** ******** to pin **** because it resists ************** *** seeks ** challenge the *********** beliefs ** previous schools of thought. It aims to ******** that there's no single, absolute truth. Postmodern plays, for instance, refuse to adhere to a ****** overarching story, acknowledging that there can be multiple interpretations at *** same time, and inviting audiences to actively participate in ******** meaning during a ********** performance.

This ******** is *** limited to a specific area, as ** can be seen ** ******* forms such as architecture, film, literature, *** studio art. Postmodernity is marked by the use of pastiche, fragmentation, and irony.

TECHNIQUES *** CONVENTIONS OF POSTMODERNISM:

REJECTION OF A ****** NARRATIVE

Postmodernism rejects ‘master narratives.’ ****** narratives include *** systems *** ********** which ****** do not question *** ****** **** be ********** ******* it appears ** if ******* values these. Some ‘master narratives’ **** **** ********* the 2*** ******* ** ‘absolute truths’ include:

● Colonialism ** bringing ************ to the world.

● It is *** ***** of a woman ** stay at home at raise children

● The USA has a duty to police ***** ** *** World

And yet - today, these ***** have been rejected, and *** *** viewed with great suspicion as they take power away from those who are vulnerable ***** furthering *** ********* of those with power. Postmodernism urges us to ******** ‘absolute truths’ and find the flaws in this absolute *** of thinking.

***** about **** master ********** that ‘Top Girls’ rejects, e.g.

● A woman must reject *** ********** to ‘make it’ in a ‘man’s world’

● ‘Women can ‘**** it all’ - be mothers and successful women ** the workplace.’

What are **** of the master ********** that the play

brings up in **** reading of the play?

DECONSTRUCTION:

************** ** postmodern ******* involves ******** down traditional notions of storytelling, character, *** structure. ** challenges established norms by dismantling and questioning *** fundamental ******** of a play, such as linear narratives, clear ********* motivations, and traditional forms of staging. (See sections on STRUCTURE, PLOT, CHARACTER)

** essence, deconstruction in ********** theatre aims ** subvert and **** boundaries, inviting ********* to ********** engage with the performance and ******** ******** interpretations and meanings. This approach often leads ** a **** fragmented, non-linear, and open-ended ********** experience.

https://criticaltheorypostmodernfeminist.***** y.com/deconstruction.html

************** of feminism:

In Top Girls, ********* ************* the kind of ‘Feminists’, ** women ‘having ** *** ** ************** notions of feminism.

In Top Girls:

● Female characters disrespect other feminine characters, (e.g. Act 2 *** 3)

● Women give up their femininity and ***** identities as mothers (Act 1, 3)

● ****** characters **** conflicting ***** of success and experience hardship and ********* ****** ** that ******* (*** 1-3)

● The play *** exist without male characters, but *** impact ** men is **** everywhere. (Act 1-3)

Consider **** of ***** ideas: Specifically, where ** the play can you **** ******** of *** **** happens ** **** Act?

Deconstruction ** Language: The overlapping dialogue may also ** **** as a ************** of language, especially **** regards to *** way language is written ** modernist theatre. *** *** ******* ** LANGUAGE for more detail.

PASTICHE:

A French **** used ** describe a visual art **** similar to collage. Pastiche brings texts, ****** and media forms ** used - a “theft” or borrowing of artistic ****** and forms: A supermarket of styles. Looking back ** the ******* on THEATRICAL INFLUENCES, ** see **** in the pastiche of techniques *** conventions from Epic Theatre, Realism, Absurdism, Surrealism, etc.

In ‘*** Girls’, memories, flash-***** to the past, imagination and the present *** pieced together **** a ******** in a new and unsettling way.

The collage of the real world *** the transhistorical characters in Act 1 could be **** as pastiche, as the **** creates a layering of fictional characters (created by Churchill), characters **** history, *** and literature.

This layering of women ***** us think ***** **** *********** ‘success’ as women, think about how men have been instrumental in the shaping ** female identity, *** ask questions about how the core of being a woman - motherhood, love, work and identity connect and divide us.

*** overlapping the dialogue, which has become a trademark of Churchill’s theatre can also ** seen as an element of pastiche, as *** ********** ***** their ******** and stories over one another. We *** **** ************* in the ****** Scene in *** 1, although this ***** ********* throughout the **** and is especially ****** in *** verbal ******** match between Joyce *** ******* in Act 3, ** they argue ******** of family and ****** class.

DEATH OF THE AUTHOR:

********** theatre ******* the ****** ** the only or ultimate meaning maker. In Modernism - the playwright or director was the final authority on **** the play should mean.

Postmodern theatre ********** us to ****** meaning for ourselves. *** audience and not the author creates this meaning.

Multiple Realities & Story-Webs exist in Act 1 as *** ***** at the ***** argue, overlap *** **** together in a collision of

https://countercraft.substack.com/p/yall-wanna-see-a-death-of- their stories and experiences.

the-author

The audience **** often decide whose ********* is more important when listening to the conflicting, ************ dialogue.

Previous ‘authors’ ** literature and art are also rejected ** we see fictional characters such ** **** Gret and Patient Griselda reclaim their own identities outside ** the identities given to them by their male authors. (See section on CHARACTER)

FRAGMENTED / NON-LINEAR NARRATIVES:

Post-modernist ***** are considered fragmentary, ********* ****** ********** and making contradictory, *** often ironic combinations. Critics who see Top Girls as postmodern have tended ** reference the dinner scene, with its fragmented dialogue and

Skelly, A. Top Girls Notes incongruous, often ******** juxtapositions.

** the first production, actors were cast as both contemporary and historical characters, a precedent which subsequent *********** **** followed.

The play's radically non-linear narrative structure *** multiple-role casting leads to *** ********* *** multiple interpretations, encouraging viewers to compare *** contrast recent and historical moments.

In Closing: Style

Top Girls is a Postmodern play that ****** out for its ********** use of ********** techniques and styles, challenging traditional norms ** create a dynamic and thought-provoking theatrical experience. The combination ** satire, gritty realism, surrealism, *** social commentary contributes ** the play's lasting impact on contemporary theatre. Different productions *** emphasise specific techniques based on the interpretation of the director and creative team.

These elements keep the audience engaged in the idea that they *** watching a play and they *** constantly encouraged to think for themselves, consider the questions being asked and to form their own ***** ****** the complicated concepts and themes ******** in the play.

6. STRUCTURE:

A note ** structure: ***** are ********* *** versions ** the **** in print. A ***** edition has had some ********** changes, ***** Churchill ******* said *** preferred. Reference to ****** in *** play follow the second structure as published ** Bloomsbury.

An earlier script is ****** as:	A later *** (Bloomsbury) is set * as:**
Act 1: Scene 1: The **** Party Act 1: Scene 2: The ****** Agency: *** ***** Jeanine * 1: Scene 3: Angi, * * ** Joyce’s backyard - Sunday.	Act 1: *** Dinner Party
* 2: Scene 1: Top * Employment Agency: Monday morning: Win * Nell arrive at the ‘Top Girls’ ******** Agency on Monday morning. They drink coffee and discuss the *** until Marlene arrives. Win ****** Louise. Angie arrives to * Marlene. Mrs Kid arrives to challenge Marlene for ******* Howard’s Job. * interviews Shona Angie ***** asleep in Marlene’s office.	Act 2: Scene One: Joyce’s backyard: Sunday afternoon Scene Two: ‘Top Girls’ Employment Agency – Monday morning: Win * Nell have arrived at the ‘Top Girls’ Employment Agency **** morning. drink coffee * discuss the weekend until ***** arrives. Marlene Interviews Jeanine Interview: Louise * Win *** *** to see Marlene. Mrs Kid arrives challenge Marlene for ******* Howard’s Job. Nel interviews Shona Angie falls asleep Marlene’s office.
* 3: One Year Earlier: Joyce’s *** in Suffolk	* 3: One ** Earlier: Joyce’s House in Suffolk

The play employs a non-linear structure, with scenes unfolding in a fragmented and non-traditional timeline. The play shifts between different **** periods and locations. *** ******* of this technique is to challenge conventional storytelling, encouraging the ******** to ******** engage in piecing ******** the narrative puzzle.

Act 1 and 2 occur a **** year after *** 3. The structure also contains ******** ******** in the ********* scenes ** *** 2.

ACT 2 ACT 3, One **** earlier

https://twitter.com/NationalTheatre/status/144786003609 https://lucywritersplatform.com/2019/04/14/carol-churchills-top-girls-at-

3550593 the-national-theatre/

In *** Girls, Churchill rejects *** ******* of a “well-made play” and works with a **** experimental structure. She does **** through techniques such as

● A fragmented, non-linear structure

● ********* the conventions ** the well-**** play ● Rejecting a ****** narrative ● ********** *** audience.

Top Girls is not a “****** text” - ** it abandons a fixed time *** space, ********** in Act 1. The play forces the audience to reconsider their understanding of what they are seeing, ** reflect ********** on **** they are seeing, rather **** become ******* viewers. Not being able to anticipate what might happen next destabilises the audience and makes them feel uncomfortable.

By presenting scenes out of order, *** play requires the audience to actively engage in ********** *** plot lines. Some critics ***** **** Churchill intentionally abandons the traditional "well-**** play" structure as a protest against the male-dominated approach to playwriting.

The established ***** of drama, often shaped by *** in the past, *** re-evaluated.

‘I remember ****** I wrote ‘Top Girls’, thinking ***** ***** barristers – and *** they were in a ******** and *** to imitate men to ******* – and I *** thinking of them ** different from me. And then I thought, ‘wait a minute, my ***** ******* ** what ***** ***** ** is from ***** written by men…’

Top Girls Structure - Summarised:

*** 1

The first act ***** ** a surreal dinner party which presents a transhistorical ******* ** women from history, art and literature. This serves ** an ************ to the ******* character, Marlene, and sets the thematic tone for the play.

ACT 2

*** 2 moves **** Joyce’s **** in Suffolk to Marlene’s offices at the Top Girls agency ** London.

The *** ***** place primarily in the Top Girls Employment Agency, ***** ******* works. ** ********** the audience to ******* female characters who visit *** agency seeking employment. The scene *** at Joyce’s home in Suffolk explores the complex ******** between Joyce *** Angie, and Angie and Kit. The fractious, sometimes hostile relationships ******* ***** women echo the ******** seen in the *** ***** agency.

ACT 3

Act three, set in Joyce’s kitchen, is set a full year before Act 1 *** 2.

The ***** act returns ** Marlene's family in her hometown. It ******** Marlene's relationship with her ****** Joyce, her ***** Angie, and the sacrifices she **** *** her career.

Chronologically, *** first scene would be Marlene’s ***** ** Joyce’s home, which takes ***** a year before the fantasy dinner, but *** scene is placed ** the end ** the play. This gives *** ********** that Marlene abandoned her daughter, Angie, even greater force. Any ******* ** ******** or encouragement for Angie ** *** 3 are ****** empty, as we see Marlene refer to her as a ‘****** ** Tesco’ or ‘she’s not going to make it’ ** *** 2.

Interconnected Monologues:

The **** consists of ************** monologues and dialogues, ******** characters to ***** their perspectives on ambition, success, and the ********** faced by women in different societal roles. ** see **** ** rare moments where ***** are ******* to speak without interruption - Dull Gret’s ******** monologue in *** 1 ** Win / Nell’s in *** 2. *** we have ** *** - is it significant **** the other women in the **** are ***** *** asleep **** ***** ********** are spoken?

The ********* and end of the play *** not be directly ********* in content, *** they share ******** relevance. *** Girls starts with a dreamlike dinner ***** and concludes with Angie waking from a nightmare, repeatedly uttering the word "frightening." It's ** to the audience to interpret what "frightening" signifies: Marlene’s politics, the sisters’ history, the unbridgeable *** between them, or the limited future for ***** and the **** generation ** young women. Angie’s future seems **** **** frightening when we consider **** *** last statement of the play in chronological **** is that Angie ** “*** going to make it”. Marlene behaved as *** did throughout the play after **** encounter with her sister and daughter. Marlene’s matter-of-**** ********* ***** Angie’s **** ** prospects is frightening, since Marlene ********** the future.

7. PLOT

*** Girls is centred around Marlene, a career-****** woman, who ** heavily invested in women’s success in business.

*** **** examines *** roles available to women, ************ in *** 1980’s, where *** play is set. Top Girls dwells ******* on the **** of ambition and relationships that are severed as a ****** of one’s success.

ACT ONE

Top ***** opens ** a restaurant where *** main character, Marlene, is hosting a ****** party. Marlene is a ****** ***** during the early 1980s, and has recently ******** a ********* to ******** director. However, the five characters whom she invites to her celebration are *** from her era, but are ****** historical figures ** fictional characters from literature and art. The first to ****** are Isabella Bird and **** Nijo, *** real historical figures *** ****** known through their published writings.

Pope Joan and Dull Gret arrive soon afterwards. Pope Joan is debatably a real-**** or mythical figure: a woman from the ninth century who cross-dressed so convincingly that *** reportedly became Pope. In contrast ** the ********** figures who *** known through their public roles, Dull Gret ** a fictional character depicted in a painting by Brueghel.

https://theartsdesk.com/theatre/top-girls-minerva-theatre-chichester

The characters talk over **** other, discussing their love lives, travels *** families. Marlene proposes a toast, remarking ** how far they have come, and the rest of *** characters toast her accomplishment in return. The **** switches ** **** **** ********* her story. She reveals that *** lived ** a man from *** age of 12 in order to continue *** education. She eventually rose ******* the church establishment and ****** Pope. Meanwhile, she also had ** ****** with *** of her chamberlains, and ****** pregnant. *** gave birth to the child unexpectedly ****** a procession and, exposed as a woman, *** *** stoned to death.

While Joan tells her story Nijo interjects and ***** ***** *** four children. *** first baby was the Emperor's son, but the ****** died. Nijo had to hide *** next pregnancies because they resulted **** her affairs, and her lovers **** the infants away from her. She *** *** fourth **** in *** hills and stayed away from everyone, but *** ** longer felt anything for *** infant. Marlene wonders why, in ******** ** the joyful celebration she *** planned, they *** so miserable.

The ***** ***** to arrive ** *** tardy Patient Griselda, a fictional character from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. ******** ***** her ***** and it ******* clear that, ****** the other characters, she has no voice ** her own. Although *** was born to a ******* family, marquis ************ selected her as his wife. However, *** condition of her ******** *** that she *** to obey *** husband Walter ******* question. Griselda agreed and always adhered to her promise, ** matter what extreme sacrifices ** asked of her.

Walter insisted ** ****** *** two ******* taken **** from her *** apparently killed. He told her it was ******* *** ******* people were ********** **** him having children who were partially of peasant stock. However, *** believed that Walter really ****** to have ***** that *** loved him. Finally, her ******* decided to send Griselda back ** her father, **** nothing but a slip as clothing. Walter tested her ***** by asking her to help ******* *** wedding to a new, younger wife. ***** ******** ******** the girl getting ready, Walter revealed that the young ***** *** actually their daughter. Griselda found out that Walter had secretly allowed **** their son and daughter to grow up. Made ******* ** his wife’s unquestioning obedience, Walter took Griselda back, finally reuniting the family.

Marlene expresses her frustration over ********* acquiescence ** *** husband's requirements. **** is also upset, ******* unlike Griselda, ****** *** returned *** children to her. Nijo does remember *** one time *** **** the ******* for a perceived injustice. Gret, *** has remained ****** silent throughout the meal, ***** her story, recalling how *** and other ***** ********* through hell and **** *** devils. Isabella talks about the last **** **** she took, where *** *** *** first ******** woman to meet the Emperor of Morocco. By **** time, the women have become consistently drunker, and arguably sadder and more estranged, with **** Joan

https://www.chicagoonstage.com/1982s-feminist-playtop-girls-proves- lapsing into Latin and then vomiting. sadly-still-relevant-today/

ACT TWO

Scene 1:

Act 2 begins in Joyce’s backyard Suffolk. Joyce ** Marlene s sister, *** still lives ** the working-class community in which they grew up. Joyces 16-year-old daughter, Angie, and her 12-year-old friend Kit are talking ** a shelter built ** Joyce's Backyard. Joyce repeatedly calls Angie, but Angie and *** both ignore her.

Angie ***** Kit that she wants to kill her ****** *** have Kit watch. Kit ** worried about a ******* war and insists **** **** should move to New Zealand in case ** a bombing.

Angie reveals her big secret: that she ** going to ** to ****** and ***** *** aunt Marlene, whom *** believes is actually her mother.

https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/previous/

Angie and Kit *** planned to ** ** *** cinema, but Joyce insists that Angie needs ** clean her room before she can go. ***** ****** and Joyce and Kit talk about the two girls' plans for the future.While Angie has left school, the ****** *** wants to ** a nuclear physicist. Angie goes to her room and ******* dressed ** in her ***** blue dress, which is too small for her. ***** gets increasingly angry at Angie's refusal to clean her room. ** begins to rain and Joyce and Kit retreat inside. When Kit ***** back outside to get Angie, Angie reveals **** *** put *** dress on ** kill her mother.

https://theatrius.com/2019/09/28/top-girls-transcends-time-space-for-magnificent-women-at-act-s-f/

Scene 2:

** is ****** morning again at the Top Girls Agency where Marlene's co-workers, *** *** Nell, are gossiping. Win chats to **** about the affair that *** is ****** with a married man, revealing **** she spent the weekend at his house while his wife was out of town. **** contemplate switching jobs, because Marlene has recently been promoted over them and this might limit their

prospects: **** can **** ** further possible aspirations **** *** firm since there can be only one Top Girl. However, they tell Marlene that they are glad that she got the ********* over the runner-up candidate, ****** Kidd.

This scene is ******** by a series of interviews. In *** first, Marlene is in the ******* ** interviewing a ***** woman, Jeanine, in ***** to find *** a job placement. Marlene instructs the ***** engaged Jeanine that she should not tell her potential employers that *** ** ******* married, because they **** assume that *** will leave her *** to have children.

https://twitter.com/NationalTheatre/status/1118778792028274688

******** ******* has a vague idea ** ******* ** travel, ******* evaluates Jeanine’s potential and suggests some low-level local jobs. Marlene ******* that she is ******* *** reputation by giving her recommendation, and Jeanine agrees that she will do her best to get a job at a ********* company.

https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/top-girls-0

Win interviews Louise, a 46-year-old woman *** has been in the same job for 21 years. Louise ***** Win that she had not feel *********** at her previous company since her ****** passed her over for promotion, and ******* she even trained others who were promoted over her. Win believes that her potential will be limited due to *** younger men who will be her competition, *** finds a cosmetic company that ***** hire her. When Louise ********* her ************ **** her old workplace, Win reprimands her by saying that she should not **** ** much at an interview.

Next, Angie arrives at the office, having ********* to London ** see her aunt. Marlene asks Angie if

Joyce knows where she is, but ******** an indefinite answer. ***** becomes ********** **** Marlene does *** **** ** want Angie ** **** at her apartment. Howard’s wife, *** Kidd, interrupts their conversation when she enters the office and insists ** talking to Marlene. Mrs Kidd explains how upset she and Howard feel about a woman being promoted over him, and ***** **** Marlene will turn down the offer so the ****** will promote *** instead. Marlene, however, ** dismissive.

***** she leaves, Angie (who ******** the conversation) ***** Marlene **** *** thinks her attitude was admirable.

Nell then ********** Shona, who claims that she is 29 and describes her successful **** on the road as a saleswoman. However, by the end of the interview it is ***** to **** that ***** *** been making ** her

credentials. *** admits that she is actually only 21 and has ** real work experience.

https://projecteingenu.com/wordpress/en/portfolioitem/top-girls-3/

https://tamingofthereview.com/2019/02/12/arts-top-girls-showcases-top-female talent/

Marlene responds that Angie has ******** ******* prospects.

Meanwhile, Marlene has left Angie in the office while she works away from her desk. Angie ***** her that *** ***** to work at the agency, *** *** *** ** credentials. *** starts ** tell ***** her life story, *** Angie falls asleep.

Nell enters and informs Win that ****** has had a ***** attack. Marlene ******* to the ****** *** *** tells her that Angie wants to **** at *** agency. However,

*** THREE

This act is chronologically the earliest, taking place ** a ****** afternoon in Joyce’s kitchen a year before the rest of *** play. It ** the most ********* and **** a ‘kitchen-sink’ drama.

The act starts with Angie opening the presents that Marlene has bought *** Joyce *** Angie. Angie ******* *** blue dress **** *** wore ** *** ******* backyard scene. She joyfully tries the

https://theatrestorm.com/2019/10/02/review-top-girls-at-a-c-t/ dress on, which **** *** at that time.

Meanwhile, ** ******* ***** that Angie has *********** *** ******* into meeting by misleadingly telling Marlene that Joyce wanted *** to visit. *** two ***** scold ***** for deceiving them, but she ******* them **** the **** time her **** ******* *** for her ninth birthday. Joyce ****** that *** ******* left three years before. Joyce ***** Angie to *** and Marlene plans to sleep ** *** couch.

** private, *** ******* argue ***** their childhoods, different life ******* and politics. While Marlene ****** their alcoholic father for abusing ***** mother, Joyce sees *** as having had an oppressed life as well. When Marlene accuses ***** of being jealous of her career, ***** criticizes ******* *** deserting her family. The scene climaxes **** a **** dispute ******* the sisters **** ***** questions Marlene’s lifestyle, ********** after having ***** up Angie as a baby. It ** here that *** ******** ****** that ******* ** ** fact Angie’s biological mother. ***** *** disagreements **** the ******* socio-******** ****** that is having differing ******* ** the two women. One ** ******** whilst one is barely surviving. Their fight goes deeper **** their material place in the ***** - their ******** on each **** of the working / middle class divide has rendered **** enemies.

Joyce: “So don’t be round here when it happens because ** someone’s kicking you I’ll just laugh.”

Unable to come ** an agreement on *** state of their future, ******* and Joyce retire to bed, their bond ** sisters shattered.

Marlene: “But we’re friends anyway.”

Joyce: I don’t think so, no.” (Act 3)

**** ******* sleeping in the lounge, she settles down to sleep only to be ***** ** Angie, who appears to be sleepwalking. Marlene ***** to ******** **** Angie, *** only ******** by eerily ****** ‘frightening’. This is ***** the play ends.

8. LANGUAGE

Some ********* notes on ******** in the play:

** the preface ** *** script Caryl Churchill specifies *** ********* uses of / *** *.

A ****** usually ******* *** one *********** ****** it, BUT:

● When *** character starts speaking ****** the other has finished, *** point of interruption marked **** /.

● A character sometimes continues speaking right through another’s speech.

● Sometimes a speech ******* on from a speech earlier than the one immediately before it. I case the ********** is ****** with *.

As ********** explored in STYLE (Postmodernism), ******** serves as a prime example of a ****** ********* - a narrative that Postmodern Theatre opposes. The movement argues that many grammatical and linguistic structures, believed to be essential *** ********* communication, **** **** manipulated ** those in power to uphold artificial ******* and maintain authority.

Some ********* believe that ******** has been used as a **** to further the advancement of *** only and keep women inferior *** subservient. Plays like Top Girls reclaim language so that it includes *** ****** of women.

Audiences and critics have seen Churchill's overlapping dialogue ********* as an innovation in style. Critics have **** different interpretations of the mood **** the overlapping dialogue sets for the scene.

Critical ********* initially focused on the ways in ***** the overlapping dialogue illustrated that *** ***** were *** ********* ** each other. Many critics portray *** women in *** 1 as egoists focusing on ***** *** narratives. Recently however, theorists have attempted to rehabilitate the ****** guests *** their ******* of communication.

https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/magazine/2015/june/archive-caryl-churchill

“** a ***** it ** common for ***** ** communicate collaboratively: ** make comments, to complete another person's sentences, or to rephrase another's words. The women in the first act as ****** listeners, expressing empathy. The ********** do not **** to be widely insulted by the interruptions, and have heard each ***** (because they answer each other's questions). **** ** ** ***** some of the characters *** self-centred, their *********** build to a therapeutic release. Instead of ***** chaotic, the audience understands *** main ****** of the characters' narratives, creating a continuously linked narrative. Additionally, the ****** ********* scenes, where *********** characters are ******** cut off less frequently, are ***** they are more lastingly silenced.” - **** Schneider, Theatre Writer

In *** Girls:

1. The stars (*) and forward ******* (/) ****** in *********** DIALOGUE. These markers indicate ***** the ***** **** over each other. **** *** many effects:

1.1.	This ******* **** * postmodern ***** of the * of * Author, Caryl Churchill seems to hand over *** over * text by allowing the ******** to ***** each other, giving the ****** that they * ** of * own dialogue. * audience is *** presented with neatly constructed conversation, making it challenging to follow.
1.2.	* audience has to listen closely follow * discussions, needing to choose which narrative thread to attend to when multiple stories are ** simultaneously. This reflects the postmodern condition of hyper-reality, where **** options and alternatives bombard us, making it a challenge **** a single *** ** overlapping dialogue.
1.3.	also relates the postmodern complaint *** history. Postmodernists are ***** * ******** of *** for recording only a certain point of view. They feel that history is an ** version of ** events. *** tells the master narrative story which most people ** as true. The overlapping dialogue in ‘Top Girls’ **** that there are **** voices in history which have not yet been heard. History should not only have one voice.
1.4.	* guests the party compete for attention, creating a cacophony ********** voices.
1.5.	**** have suggested that the stars () forward *** (/) imitate the conversational ** of ** *** chatting. They are confident and uninhibited. *** because ****** Thatcher’s lead the first **** Prime Minister of Britain, the women feel liberated and ** a lot to say for themselves.

2. The ********** each have their own speech pattern. This way it is ******** to identify *** ** ******** by *** language they use.

*** example, Patient Griselda is meek *** subservient (“Oh, ** everyone is. I don’t mind.”) (*** 1)

4. **** Joan is arguably *** **** educated ***** at *** ***** and ****** Latin. Latin is a ********* language regarded as the basis of knowledge, learning and religion. ** the dinner progresses, Pope **** speaks ** Latin more *** more. While this may showcase her ******** ability and class, it **** ********* *** from the ***** guests *** don’t understand what she is saying. Pope Joan’s achievements in language set her apart from *** others. *** use of Latin may give her ****** to greater wisdom, but what good is profound ********* if it cannot ** ****** with others?

Even **** Pope Joan speaks ** English (“St. Augustine ********** that the Neo-Platonic Ideas are *********** from God”) her words **** to escape everyday comprehension. (*** 1)

5. ******** Bird and Lady Nijo speak the most at the dinner table. ***** two women **** published ******* in their time and **** have ‘******* ***** voice’ in history. ***** these ********** may speak a great deal, they listen the least to the others *** ** not seem particularly interested ** what others have to say. Isabella Bird and **** **** **** ask questions **** **** can ****** *** ***** **** to themselves.

6. Joyce and Angie swear and use vulgar language.

Joyce: “******* ****** ****** cunt. You can stay ***** and die.”

Angie: “Say you eat shit” (*** 2)

Their words mark **** as working-***** individuals. Angie’s ****** vocabulary reminds ** ** Dull

Gret. Both speak abruptly and directly. In *** 1, ** is *** working-class characters: Gret (“Balls”, “Potatoes” and the waitress (*** 1), who are most silent, with the waitress not speaking at all. This is a commentary ** *** the working class *** silenced by those with power.

******* her emotive speech at *** end ** *** 1, Dull **** does not **** much to say. *** is the least educated of *** guests. ********* she simply echoes a **** ****** earlier. Dull Gret reduces conversation to a ****** observation (“sad,” “potatoes,” “balls”). This humorously highlights the ******** of people to ***** words.

Lesley Sharp, who ********* Gret in the 1991 production, considered *** trauma **** character would **** **** ******* *** suggested that “Gret's ******* was *** that *** didn't **** anything to say, but that she had too much to say.”

However, **** the end of the scene, Gret makes the longest speech of *** party, describing the wartime ****** that motivated her to travel to **** *** fight with the grotesque devils. She **** *** terror of the Spanish army was worse than Hell, and describes the ******* deaths of two of *** ten children. This monologue ****** her to reclaim *** story and her identity, which *** previously been depicted by Bruegel as comical, greedy, shrewish *** without dignit

9. STAGING

The specifics of ***** design, set, props, costumes, lighting, and sound in a production of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill *** vary ***** on *** director's vision, the theatre company's creative choices, and the ******* interpretation of the play. As a result, there is no definitive or ***** design for these elements. ***** **** always depend on the director’s vision *** ******* ** the play.

Tip: ** *** try to ‘study’ someone else’s ******** ******* in one of the many versions ** ‘*** Girls’ that have been staged. When candidates are asked on staging choices or ******** to create ***** *** staging (in 2025-2026), ***** ******* **** need to be their ******** ideas, and **** ** ***** ** the themes, ***** *** symbols ** the play.

Stage and Set: Flexible

***** *** play's non-linear structure and diverse settings, a flexible ***** design *** ** preferred. This allows for seamless *********** between different locations and time periods, e.g. *** restaurant, Joyce’s backyard, the agency office.

Similarly, the staging of Top Girls would benefit **** a *** design that could accommodate the play's numerous locations and shifts in time.

*** ******** Theatre's production of ‘Top Girls’ ******** the dinner scene in an expensive ******* restaurant with a dreamy, almost ethereal ******* backdrop. This may be linked ** the surreal influence ** this scene. The Top Girls agency reflected ***** styling and expensive furnishings, while Joyce’s ******* was **** rooted in a realist style, small and homely, reflecting the working-class inhabitants.

Props: Representative Props

***** could be ****** ** ********* the various environments ** the play. *** example, office-******* ***** for the ********** agency, ******** items for **** scenes, and symbolic props *** the surreal dinner party.

Costumes: Period and Character-Driven

******** could be designed to reflect *** diverse time periods and ********* backgrounds. Differentiating ******* ********** *** contemporary ****** is crucial, and costumes *** be chosen ** ********* each character's *********** *** social/***** status.

Lighting:

- ******* of *** play's non-linear ********* and ****** in **** *** space *** benefit from dynamic ******** design. Lighting changes *** help signal transitions between scenes and create a ******** engaging experience.

- Symbolic Lighting: Symbolic lighting cues might be used to enhance the ******* and *********** elements of the play, especially during *** dinner party scene. e.g. ** *** this in Gret’s monologue in the National Theatre production.

Remember, the specific ******* for stage ****** and technical elements **** depend on the director's interpretation, *** production team's creative vision, and the resources ********* to the theatre company. **** ** a ********** play - and Productions of Top Girls have the flexibility to ********** with these elements ** ****** a unique and ********* theatrical experience.

10. CHARACTERS

The following ********** ****** in the play, but some of these *** played ** the same actress, as the **** is ******** so that the characters can be multi-rolled.

Marlene	******** Bird	Lady Nijo	Dull Gret
Pope Joan	Patient Griselda	Waitress	Joyce
Angie	Kit	Mrs Kidd	Win
Nell	Shona	Louise	Jeanine

ACT 1: THE DINNER PARTY

https://onbostonstages.blog/2018/04/30/a-dinner-party-for-the-ages-in-churchills-top-girls/

http://thesmallstage.weebly.com/blog/top-girls-with-renaissance-theaterworks

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/theater/15ishe.html

MARLENE, the protagonist, can be classed as an example ** Thatcher’s ‘top woman’, someone who strives ** do better *** herself and make a ******* of her life, *** herself, ** herself.

She ** a high-ranking official ** *** *** ***** employment agency, a powerful individual, thanks to her smart and ******* nature. Marlene *** managed ** deceive her ********** and hides her working-class background, especially the fact that she has a daughter. ******* sacrificed a life with *** daughter and ****** to be successful in business and prove that women do not have to conform ** the ******* ** the patriarchy.

https://lucywritersplatform.com/2019/04/14/carolchurchills-top-girls-at-the-national-theatre/

******* of this Marlene does not **** many close friends, explaining why her celebratory dinner ** **** women **** historical periods of time. In Marlene ** see a woman *** ** ********** financially, but *** moral compass is questionable, and *** is socially inept and emotionally unavailable. Marlene has lost ***** **** empathy, neglecting her ****** ** her daughter, sister, family, and herself.

She sees *** world ****** in terms of success, shaped by the demands of a male-dominated society.

****** financially successful, Marlene is morally, socially, and *********** empty. Churchill uses ******* ** critique Thatcherism, warning ******* the ******* of prioritising economic success ***** all else.

https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/lifestyle/whats-on/theatre-top-girls- https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/previous/ national-theatre/

At ********* points in Top Girls, Marlene can ** regarded as:

a heroine	a cold tyrant	a ‘man’	self-absorbed
“I ** you’d be in charge everything,” gushes Angie in admiration.	Joyce ******** *** with, “I suppose you’d have * Hitler ** was a woman. Hitlerina.”	A Top Girls employee explains why Marlene receives promotion, “Our Marlene’s got far more balls.”	Joyce reprimands her sister, “I’m ashamed of you. Think of nothing but yourself.”
“Your aunty’s a smashing bird,” a Top ***** employee tells Angie.	Marlene: “** ***** needs to stop whining.”	**** Marlene, “I’ve been the pill long I’m ****** sterile.”	“You could be married with twins for all I know,” ***** complains that Marlene is emotionally distant.
Angie remembers the previous year when Marlene visited Suffolk. “That was the best day of *** life.”	Marlene: “Our mother had a **** life because * had nothing. Married to that bastard.”	Marlene justifies why * has been unable to maintain relationships men, “They’re waiting * me turn into the **** woman.”	Marlene: “ * ***** * the way we changed * * and our *********** achievements.”
	Marlene: “I hate the working class.”	“You’** one of those ballbreakers.”

ISABELLA BIRD

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2021/12/discovering_japan_with_isabella_bird.ht https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/previous ml /

ISABELLA BIRD ** a real-life, nineteenth-century Scottish explorer, writer and naturalist. She is the only character at the dinner party that never had any children. Isabella was an independent woman *** ****** happiness ******* her *** company and travels, rather than **** of a man. Churchill, by including Isabella, ***** *** motherhood has been regarded ********** history, as a burden. Unburdened ** the control of a man, Isabella was an optimist and always ***** her mind. Isabella *** **** ******* in ‘a man’s world’ with her travelling and adventures and can therefore be regarded as someone who is able to **** **** success without the **** of a man. ******* facing tragedies, ******** lived freely, engaging ** ************* male activities **** exploring and writing. Her presence serves as a ******** **** true success isn't solely measured by wealth or power. LADY NIJO

https://alumnaetheatre.wordpress.com/2019 https://www.facebook.com/nationaltheatre/photos/a.1015731

/01/04/top-girls-scandal-at-the-japanese- 1874799973/10157311875219973/?type=3 court-lady-nijo/

Lady Nijo is a real-life thirteenth-century concubine-turned-Vuddhist-nun. Lady Nijo was raised from ***** to live a life ** sexual service to the Emperor. Over the ***** Lady **** was subject ** sexual *** psychological abuse, and *** female children that she **** were taken away from her so that they, one day, would live the same life as ***** mother. At the dinner table Lady **** recalls the numerous times *** children were ****** from her, never to be seen again. She sometimes uses laughter ** hide her sadness. Churchill’s depiction of Lady Nijo shows how the ***** ******* *** those beneath them and how their lives are dictated to them ** *** ***** of patriarchal figures. Nijo is a character who, like Marlene, appreciates the trimmings **** connection ** ****** *** bring. Her dialogue in Act 1 is filled with references ** *** fine ******** *** *** **** by the emperor, or what she **** herself.

Nijo: Well I was only ******** *** I knew he ***** something but I didn’t **** what. ** **** ** ** eight-layered gown and I sent it back. So **** the time came I *** nothing but cry. ** thin gowns were badly ripped. But even **** ******* when he left – he’d a ***** **** **** a scarlet lining *** ******* Are *** saying he raped you? Nijo very heavily embroidered trousers.”...

“The Emperor Kameyana, on his ****** visit, I wore raw **** ******* trousers *** a seven-layered **** in shades ** red, *** two outer garments, / ****** lined with green and a light…***** jacket. Lady Betto had a five-layered gown in shades ** ***** *** purple.”

“The ******* had always been my enemy, Marlene, she said I had ** right to wear three-layered gowns. / But I *** the adopted daughter ** my *********** the Prime Minister. I had been publicly ******* ********** ** wear thin silk.” (Act 1)

Material ******** seem ** give Nijo emotional comfort as well as something tangible that *** can **** onto and find success in. She ******* numb to the horrors she ******* - rape, ***** ‘given’ to ***** men by the Empreor, having to give her ******** away. Only later, when drunk and faced **** Griselda’s ‘***** ending’ ** ******* her children back, do we see how deeply ******** Nijo is by what she *** endured. And yet, she *** *** ******** to forge her own path. After *** father’s death she respects his wishes to ‘take on **** orders’ but does this in her own way, becoming a Buddist Nun *** travelling extensively ** foot.

**** GRET

https://alumnaetheatre.wordpress.com/2019/01/ https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/top-girls-national-theatre-caryl03/top-girls-woman-storms-hell-dull-gret/ churchill-cast-past-present-a4104636.html

**** is the ******* ** ***** Griet, a ******* *********** ******** by Pieter Brueghel the Elder. In the sixteenth-century, ‘Griet’ was a derogatory **** given to any bad-tempered, coarse and vulgar woman. She is depicted ** an older ***** ******* typical housewife attire, long skirts and apron, accompanied by battle armour, ****** leading a group of women ** ******* Hell. ** *** painting Breugel ***** fun of ***** *** *** aggressive and unrefined. Dull Gret, depicted ** a painting as a greedy woman filling her skirts with **** and treasure, is ******** ** critique the sexist ********* and draw parallels between *** pursuit of power *** Marlene's. Churchill’s interpretation ** the painting differs from the artists, in that Churchill showcases Gret’s determination to stand up *** *** children, a comrade for women and a protector. Dull ** representative ** the working class, ****** ****** rather **** using words. ** *** *** ** *** ,1 Dull **** has an unexpected outburst. *** ********* ******** *** killing of two of *** children. This horror fuels her anger and motivates *** to lead the ******** of hell. She did so with ********** force to “*** the bastards out” and punish the devils which hurt her family. Her silence at the dinner ********* with this ********** of *** loss of her ******** in war, showing the depth of her suffering and her courage in ******** up to fight *** and avenge her children.

https://lucywritersplatform.com/2019/04/14/ carol-churchills-top-girls-at-the-nationaltheatre/

PATIENT GRISELDA is a figure from European ******** and ** featured in the tales ** Chaucer and Boccaccio. *** is **** a ******* family who was selected to marry a handsome and wealthy Marquis.

She was whisked away from her ****** and ******* to live **** her husband who went to extreme lengths to test her obedience. He took both of ***** children away as a **** of *** love for him. In spite of this treatment she remained ***** to him. Churchill ********** the devastation, trauma and **** Griselda suffered all for a man’s pleasure and gain. ******* Griselda does not advocate for herself and does not want to ** an inconvenience. Even when it comes to ordering, Patient ******** **** orders dessert because the others are, and asks only for “cheese and biscuits.” (Act 1)

https://patricia1957.wordpress.com/tag/patientgrizelda/

*** 2: JOYCE’S HOME / MARLENE’S OFFICE

JOYCE is Marlene’s older sister *** **** have **** different lifestyles. Joyce ****** Angie, Marlene’s daughter, as her own child, due to Marlene pursuing a career in London. Joyce *** ********** towards both Angie and ******* which is evident through the interactions she has with them.

Joyce: (***** Angie) “Rotten Little cunt!”

***** ** a proud woman, a salt of *** earth type who has a *** of dignity. She refuses money off ******* but is **** threatened **** ******* could take Angie back ** *** moment. Joyce isn’t ****** to ***** her mind, ****** Marlene who is keeping up appearances in order ** ‘succeed’ ** life. Ultimately, Joyce ********** the type ** woman that Thatcher’s ‘top woman’ steps on to get their *** way. In the class struggle, Joyce represents the “us” and Marlene the villainous “them.” Marlene’s choices had an ****** on *** Joyce ***** live her life, and what possibilities and opportunities would be made available to her.

Yet, Joyce is *** a victim. She has fought, working several jobs to provide for *** family, kicked out a husband **** a wandering *** and the battle ** wills and **** between Marlene and Joyce in *** 3, ***** how smart and ***** Joyce is. She is ********* a formidable opponent to Marlene *** ** *** presented with the possibility **** she too ***** have achieved great ******* ** she had not been **** to raise another woman’s child *** work to ******* *** family.

Do *** think ***** is the by-******* of Marlene’s ********* or could she have ended up like ******* too?

ANGIE

Angie resents her ‘mother’ Joyce and advises *** ****** Kit **** *** ****** to kill her. Angie *** left school with ** ************** and is ********** to be ‘not clever’. She ** constantly berated by Joyce and **** ******* comments on her probable future, ******* “she’s a bit thick” and “packer ** Tesco more like” (Act 2). *********** that her ******** **** not ****** ‘anything worthwhile’ ****** her.

Angie is unaware ** ***** feelings from Marlene and idolises her aunty. She ** looking for ******** and love from Marlene but this **** materialises through *** gifts Angie receives ****** **** *** emotional ********** and love *** ** desperately craves. Churchill’s characterisation of Angie represents an abandoned child, ******** by her biological mother and resented by her ‘mum’. However, she also represents the ********* population of *** eighties thanks to Thatcher *** *** debilitating policies as well as the young people who will inherit a world ************ by ***** wars and the threat ** extinction (e.g. the nuclear fallout **** Kit *** Angie debate in Act 2). Angie's peculiar actions, aggressive tendencies, and **** of being abandoned reflect Churchill's frustrations with ******* ******* ** modern feminism. *** criticises the emphasis ** individualism and ************ over basic ******* and care for others, ***** are ***** considered weaknesses in a society dominated by men.

Angie represents the working-class society of Thatcher’s reign in 1980’s England. She represents a ********* class of people, ****** not ****** enough to fight for or provide ******** for. Angie drops out of school *** throughout the play, she ** rejected to cruel comments from *** family members, insinuating that someone from **** an impoverished ********** will never amount ** ‘anything’ in life. Just as Thatcher cut ties **** the working-class communities of England, to focus on more ************ endeavours **** ***** ****** the already wealthy, Marlene *** ***** resign themselves to *** fact that Angie will never be successful in life, *** she should settle to be someone’s wife, ******* will take her.

KIT

Kit, Angie's ****** and neighbour, despite being only twelve, is easily ***** into the ***** exchange of words and ******** ******* her *** Angie. **** mirrors the *** that the older characters, ************ in the ********** agency speak to one another without affection or even sometimes respect. Despite this, Kit seems compelled ** maintain her ********** with Angie, **** though she ****** criticises Angie's ********* and influence. However, Kit's loyalty ** Angie becomes ******* when ***** speaks *** ** Angie, prompting Kit to defend her.

THE INTERVIEWS

WIN is *** of the employees ** the Top Girls Agency, under Marlene. *** ** engaged ** an affair with a married man *** ***** she can **** at ‘***** the wife’ and ******* to appreciate *** trappings ** a traditional home, commenting on the beautiful roses ** the gardens at *** lover’s home, this does not **** to be the end **** for her. We ***** at the end of *** 2 that Win has had several *** relationships, supporting her boyfriends *********** and **** *** *** married ********** to a man who was sent ** prison. Win seems more playful than **** *** treats ***** with ******** later ** *** Act when she arrives. She also appears more amused than ******* by Marlene’s ********* and success. Win is educated, clever *** has ambitions for her own future.

NELL is ******* employee at the Top Girls employment agency. She is happy **** Marlene got the ********* over Howard, *** she *** her own career ambitions and ***** **** to **** a job with ****** prospects. *** *** a boyfriend, Derek, who has ***** her to ***** him, but she doesn't know if she will accept: *** career ******* more important to her than *** **** of marriage. During the play, Nell conducts ** interview **** Shona, whom Nell believes might ** good for the Top Girls Agency. **** is disappointed ** ***** **** Shona has lied about ********** on her application.

JEANINE is a ***** ***** who visits the *** Girls ****** and is interviewed by Marlene. She is hoping to earn more money ** she is saving up *** a wedding, but she is also hoping to find **** **** excites her: she ** drawn to *********** ** something **** ****** ***** suggests she wishes ** forge *** *** identity as a successful ************* beyond wife *** motherhood. ******* ******* ******* prioritizing ****** **** work *** cautions her ********** her plans for marriage, as the *********** of having children could ******** her prospects of securing a job.

LOUISE, a woman interviewed at the Top Girls ********** Agency, ***** age discrimination in *** *** search. Despite her ***** of experience, Louise ***** overlooked *** frustrated by *** ******* of younger, less-experienced men. She reflects the deeply ****** patriarchal systems ** the workplace. She knows her ***** and knows that she will be missed **** *** ** gone.

SHONA is a young woman who comes for an interview at *** Top Girls Employment Agency with **** and lies about almost everything on her resume, exaggerating *** success and inflating *** age ** order to **** more worldly *** successful. She is, however, ***** seriously by Nell for the ***** few moments of the interview as she has adopted the cut-throat language *** sentiments ‘I’m not **** nice’, ‘I close’ that get respect at the agency - *** language ** the ‘new woman.’ Nell, for a moment, ****** she realises that Shona is lying, sees Shona ** ‘one ** them’ *** **** considers ******* her ** mind *** a potential position in the agency, ‘should something come up.’

MRS KIDD

Mrs. Kidd is *** wife ** Howard, the man who loses the Managing Director promotion, after ** **** to Marlene instead. Mrs. Kidd goes to Marelen’s ****** *** tries to convince Marelene ** **** down the promotion.

Mrs Kidd: “What’s it going to do for him working for a woman? I think if it *** a *** he’d get over it as ********* normal… It had crossed my **** that if you were unavailable after *** for some reason, he would ** the natural second choice I think, don’t you?” (Act 2)

Mrs. **** hopes Marlene will understand how **** it would hurt Howard's pride and livelihood. Her ***** ** Marlene’s refusal to ********* this idea reveals how Mrs Kid has taken on the patriarchal way ** thinking: Mrs Kidd: “You’re *** of those ball-breakers… You’re not natural.” We also understand *** to some extent, ** she has devoted *** life to the traditional role of a mother and wife and Howard’s losing *** promotion affects her own status and success.

https://www.thereviewshub.com/top-girls-the-national-theatre-london/

11. SYMBOLS

ANGIE’S DRESS

The **** dress that ***** receives off Marlene is representative of the **** difference between the *** ********** **** Marlene and Joyce *** Angie live. Angie is very proud ** her dress and ***** it ** a token of a ***** *** wishes to fulfil one day. She looks up to Marlene *** expresses *** desires to be just like her. Angie wears the ***** in Act Two, *** despite the dress being too small, it is a symbol ** power *** authority. This dress ********** a dominant female to Angie, *** she comments *** this is *** dress she will wear to kill her mother, confirming that *** is in control of her own destiny. It is also a *** to the non-linear structure, ** we *** Angie’s dress worn in *** 2, which is now too ***** for her. This was a gift from Marlene in *** 3, when ******* seemed more ********** in Angie’s life and future. In Act 2, which we know occurs a year ***** Act 3, Angie has outgrown her dress in the **** way that Marlene *** outgrown and abandoned *** own family.

https://lucywritersplatform.com/2019/04/14/car ol-churchills-top-girls-at-the-national-theatre/

CLOTHING

The characters ** the restaurant scene ** Act *** *** all dressed in *********** clothing for ***** historical period. Each character’s clothing ** symbolic ** their role in society. **** **** comments ********** on how important dress ** to status, especially with the Emperor. Dull Gret portrays a woman in typical ***** wear but with *** added ****** armour to symbolise *** rather humble background mixed **** the desire ** ******* *** ****** her children. Patient Griselda presents a ****** of a woman who is well ****** after and someone who place high importance on ********** and material wealth. Marlene is dressed in a typical big shouldered, padded, figure ******* ***** that shows off her feminine ******** but also grand stature, a woman not to ** messed with. In contrast ** this we see Joyce ** dull, oversized clothes with ******** layers. **** ***** refer to *** perception she has ** herself, when it ***** to being a single parent, having to **** ** the roles of both ****** *** father but also, *** ** her *** income not being able ** ****** *** finer things or even **** ********** ** heating.

12. THEMES

Power, Success, and Individualism

** Top Girls, Marlene's pursuit ** power *** success ***** the ******* theme of the play, reflecting broader ******** tensions during the Thatcher era.

As a successful businesswoman, Marlene embodies *** ****** of individualism and ambition promoted by Thatcherism, ***** **** the individual against larger society.

https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/whats-more/top-girls-production-photos

Churchill uses Marlene's character to ******* *** consequences of prioritizing shallow notions ** success rooted ****** in financial or sociopolitical gain, ********** suggesting that such ******** **** to disappointment. Marlene's ******* at her employment agency, Top Girls, highlights the conflict between ******** achievement and ******* responsibility, as she becomes condescending *** cruel towards others, ********* her own family members.

•	Marlene: "You ** you have to do if you to succeed, don't you? You to be and beat ** at their own game."
•	Marlene: "I’m * some frightened peasant, I’ ** something my life. I’m * scared of anybody ** anything."
•	Marlene: "I'm not *** back bloody working-class roots. I'm *** be someone."
•	Angie: "* always * you're on * of everything. You don't know what it's like * *** people."
•	Joyce: "* and your type. You're on own. You think it's clever. * you're not going to have anywhere ** run to in the end."
•	Marlene: " never had any help. That’s * we have to look after ourselves now."

The play ********* conventional notions of success *** power, *********** *** **** that financial independence and professional *********** equate to fulfillment. Marlene's aloof ******** and disregard *** empathy and intuition reflect the sacrifices she has made to ******** the maledominated ***** of business. Her failure as a mother, particularly evident ** her strained relationship with her ****** ***** and *** biological daughter Angie, underscores *** ***** cost of prioritizing individual success over ******** and communal bonds. Churchill ********* the effects of Thatcherism and *** pursuit of individual success ** the expense of decency and support *** others, suggesting **** true success requires empathy, compassion, and a ***** ** ******** responsibility.

Through Marlene's character, Churchill highlights the inherent failures of a society that values ************* above all else.

********** and Solidarity

** Top Girls, sisterhood and solidarity are ****** **** run ******** ** *** *********** ** power, success, and individualism. While ******* embodies the pursuit of personal achievement and independence, other characters in *** **** represent different facets ** female experience and relationships, emphasizing the importance of sisterhood and solidarity in the face ** ******** pressures and ********** aspirations.

One aspect ** ********** in the play is evident in the ************* ******* women who support and uplift each ***** despite their differences. Characters like Marlene, Joyce, and Angie ******** complex ******** of sisterhood, ********* with their shared history, familial bonds, and conflicting ******* for autonomy *** connection. Despite ***** ************* and misunderstandings, these ********** ********** share a sense ** loyalty and solidarity rooted ** their shared experiences as women ** a patriarchal society.

Additionally, the play explores the **** ** sisterhood as a form ** ********** resistance against oppressive power structures. Through ********** like the historical and fictional ***** in *** opening scene, who gather for a ****** party to share ***** ******* of struggle *** resilience, Churchill highlights *** strength and ********** of women *** unite in ********** against injustice. This sense of sisterhood extends beyond individual relationships to encompass ******* ********* for social change, emphasizing *** ********** of collective action and mutual ******* in challenging systemic inequalities.

•	Marlene: "We should support **** other more, not criticize."
•	Joyce: "We were supposed to stick together, weren't we? That's **** we were told."
•	Isabella: "It’s funny to *** this, all of here. You’d think we’d be talking about something really serious."
•	Nell: "We’re * in the ** boat."
•	Angie: "We’re sisters, aren’t we? That’s **** you said."
•	Lady Nijo: "We were girls together."
•	Dull Gret: "We'** the same, aren't we?"

Moreover, sisterhood in Top Girls is portrayed as a ****** ** *********** and validation for women who **** strength in their connections with one another. Characters **** Angie, who seeks guidance and mentorship from ***** like ******* and Joyce, illustrate the ************** power of sisterhood in nurturing self-confidence and self-awareness. Through their interactions and exchanges, these characters forge ***** of sisterhood that transcend traditional notions ** family *** kinship, offering a vision of solidarity rooted in shared experiences and mutual respect.

Overall, sisterhood and solidarity in Top Girls ***** ** ************* to the individualism and *********** promoted by *********** and capitalist ideologies. ******* its exploration of female relationships and collective resistance, the play celebrates *** resilience, strength, and ********** of women who come together in solidarity to confront the ********** ** patriarchy *** oppression.

Women’s Stories and Identity

Women's stories ** a central theme in Top Girls, focusing ** the diverse experiences and struggles of ***** throughout history. Through the ********* opening scene, where Marlene hosts a dinner ***** **** ***** **** various time periods, the **** explores *** patriarchy has impacted and often ******* women's lives. These stories, spanning different cultures and contexts, highlight the pervasive ********* ** patriarchal power ********** and the challenges women face ** asserting their identity and authenticity.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/theater/reviews/08girl.html

Churchill **** *** characters' narratives to ********** *** ********** of women's identities *** *** ways in which societal expectations ***** their sense of self. From Lady Nijo's experience as a concubine-turned-nun to Patient Griselda's ********* to *** husband's whims, these stories ****** the struggles women face ** navigating patriarchal ***** and asserting their agency. Marlene's initial ****** **** her success ******* her from patriarchal constraints ** challenged as she confronts the realities of women's lives across different historical periods.

*** theme of women's stories ********** with the broader exploration of identity and authenticity in the play. Marlene's journey to success in a male-dominated world reflects the tension between conforming to ******** expectations *** ********* one's true self. The ******* ********** shared at the dinner party ***** as a reminder of the multifaceted nature of women's experiences *** the importance of authentic self-expression ** ********* patriarchal oppression. Through the characters' stories, Top Girls explores the complexities ** identity and the ways in which women assert their agency and autonomy in the face of societal constraints.

***** and Social Mobility

Class and social mobility are prominent themes in Top Girls, reflecting the socio-******** *********** *** ************ of Thatcherite Britain.

The **** examines *** challenges faced by working-class ***** like Angie and Jeanine as they strive for upward mobility ** a ******* **** often ********** wealth and status.

******** Theatre: Top *****

Additionally, characters **** Marlene embody the tensions between ********** success and collective solidarity, highlighting the complexities of class ******** *** the ***** of ******** in a capitalist society.

Life under the Patriarchy

Churchill ******** *** ************ of carving out a life ****** a patriarchal society. The dreamlike opening scene, ***** Marlene hosts a ****** ***** with women **** ********* historical periods and ***** of life, underscores how patriarchy has affected and ***** ruined women's ***** throughout history. ********* argues that patriarchal rule is deeply ingrained, ****** it difficult to ******* **** outside of its confines, even in twentieth-century London. ******* the stories shared at *** dinner party, Churchill illustrates *** ********* ways in ***** patriarchy controls women's lives, suggesting that **** liberation requires ******** **** from its constraints.

The women's ***** reveal the claustrophobia ** patriarchy, from Lady Nijo's upbringing as a man's plaything to Patient Griselda's *********** of her *** needs to please her husband. Even Pope Joan, *** passed ******* off as a man to **** ** Pope, ultimately faced stoning for her deception. These ******* resonate with Marlene, *********** *** initial belief that her success ******* her from *********** constraints. When Mrs. Kidd, a ***** dedicated to her husband's success, pleads **** Marlene ** forfeit her promotion, Marlene realizes that even in *** professional triumphs, she's not immune ** patriarchy's influence.

Mrs. Kidd: "You're a ballbreaker, that's **** you are. And unnatural."

********* exposes how ********** perpetuates itself ******* internalized beliefs and ******** norms. Mrs. Kidd's beratement of ******* as a "ballbreaker" ******** her *** internalized patriarchy, believing that ********** rather than resistance brings comfort. Marlene's realization **** ******* ** a man's world doesn't ******** her **** patriarchy's confines underscores the pervasive nature of *********** oppression. Despite Marlene's ********* triumphs, Churchill suggests that the dread, fear, *** insufficiency induced by patriarchy persist, revealing *** limitations of success within a *********** framework.

Motherhood

In Top Girls, motherhood is ********* as an insufferable burden ****** a patriarchal society, exemplified by Marlene's rejection of traditional maternal roles. Churchill explores diverse ******** ** and ******* motherhood, ********** that patriarchal norms frame motherhood primarily as a hindrance to women's advancement. The story of Marlene, *** asks *** sister Joyce to raise her daughter, Angie, highlights the disconnect from motherhood ** a source of joy ** privilege, ******* to complicated relationships and ******* consequences.

•	Marlene: "Motherhood! Don’t talk to *** motherhood. It’s boring."
•	Joyce: "I had a miscarriage."
•	Marlene: "I’ * two abortions."

The theme of motherhood ********** with *** ******* exploration of identity and authenticity in the play. Angie's realization of *** true parentage *** her ****** *** recognition **** Marlene ********** the complexities of maternal relationships and the ****** for belonging. Marlene's assessment of Angie's viability in the ********* world reflects her own detachment **** traditional feminine responsibilities, ******* ********** National Theatre: Top Girls solely as a burden **** inhibits success.

In the final scene, tensions between Marlene and Joyce escalate over their differing ********* towards motherhood. Marlene's disdain *** traditional femininity *** motherhood ********* **** Joyce's ***** of duty and loss, ************ the devaluation of ******** roles within patriarchal structures.

Churchill’s ******** that motherhood within a *********** world can **** ever be a burden ** a bleak one, and yet she does not shy **** from using her characters to demonstrate just how ******* the ***** *** historically treated mothers. Angie’s desire for ********* against the two mothers who have seen her, in their own ways, as a burden is symbolic of Churchill’s *** despair over the **** that, ** light of Thatcherism and patriarchal values, motherhood is often seen as something ************ *** ********** rather than an expression of strength, devotion, and care.

13. RELEVANCE

"Maybe all *** can ** is hope to end ** **** the right regrets."

- Arthur Miller

This quote encapsulates the idea **** theatre, through its exploration of human experiences, emotions, and dilemmas, offers ********* *** opportunity ** confront and reflect on their *** lives, choices, and regrets. It ******** **** theatre *** the power to provoke ************* *** empathy, making it a vital *** ******** art **** that ********* ** ******** with audiences across **** *** culture. ******* that delves into *********** human themes will always be universally relevant. Even though the **** is written and set ** 1982, many of *** issues ******** in the play, though different, have not **** resolved by modern society. The **** remains relevant to modern audiences for its ******** of gender inequality, its exploration of ******** and diversity, its ********** ** corporate culture and ambition, *** examination of ****** dynamics and relationships, and its innovative ********** techniques. By addressing these

themes *** ****** with intelligence, wit, and artistic flair, *** Girls continues to resonate with audiences as a timeless and provocative work of theatre.

National Theatre: Top Girls

14. REFERENCES

"Feminism." ******** Encyclopedia ** Philosophy. ******** ******* 15, 2024.

"**** Waves of Feminism." ******** Women's History Museum. Accessed January 15, 2024.

"Types ** Feminism: A Comprehensive Guide." Owlcation. Accessed ******* 15, 2024.

Anzaldúa, Gloria. Borderlands/La Frontera: *** New Mestiza. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books, 1987.

Beauvoir, Simone de. The ****** Sex. ********** by H.M. Parshley. New York: Vintage Books, 1989.

Butler, Judith. "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology *** ******** Theory." Theatre Journal 40, no. 4 (1988): 519-531.

Cengage, G. “*** Girls E Notes”,1998-2000

Ciro, Joan, et al. Via Afrika: Dramatic **** Textbook. *** Afrika. 2016 Churchill, Caryl. Top Girls. London: Methuen Drama, 1982.

Davis, ****** Y. Women, Race & Class. New York: Vintage Books, 1983.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. "*** Hearts of Men." The New York Times Magazine, ***** 5, 1989.

Federici, Silvia. Caliban and the Witch: Women, *** Body, and ********* Accumulation. Brooklyn: Autonomedia, 2004.

Firestone, Shulamith. The Dialectic of Sex: *** Case *** ******** Revolution. *** York: Bantam Books, 1970.

Fraser, Nancy. "Feminism, Capitalism, and the Cunning ** History." New Left Review 56 (2009): 97117.

Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. *** York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1963.

Hooks, bell. Ain't I a Woman: ***** Women and Feminism. Boston: South End Press, 1981.

Miller, Arthur. The Portable ****** Miller. ****** ** Christopher Bigsby. *** York: Penguin Books, 2003.

Tanner, Alexandra. "Top Girls." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 31 Aug 2018. Web. 18 *** 2019.

Tyler, A “Top Girls: Modern Theatre Guides.” Continuum, 2018.

********* October 18, 2019. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/top-girls.

Yang, T. “Analysis ** ***** Churchill’s Feminism Deconstruction on Top Girls”. ******** ****** of Science and Education, 2019

Additional ******* Guides:

Top Girls Study Guide: ******** by ****** Skelley (Rustenburg Girls School)

Top Girls ***** Guide: Compiled ** Daniella Jali (Curro)

An earlier script is ****** as:	A later *** (Bloomsbury) is set * as:**
Act 1: Scene 1: The **** Party Act 1: Scene 2: The ****** Agency: *** ***** Jeanine * 1: Scene 3: Angi, * * ** Joyce’s backyard - Sunday.	Act 1: *** Dinner Party
* 2: Scene 1: Top * Employment Agency: Monday morning: Win * Nell arrive at the ‘Top Girls’ ******** Agency on Monday morning. They drink coffee and discuss the *** until Marlene arrives. Win ****** Louise. Angie arrives to * Marlene. Mrs Kid arrives to challenge Marlene for ******* Howard’s Job. * interviews Shona Angie ***** asleep in Marlene’s office.	Act 2: Scene One: Joyce’s backyard: Sunday afternoon Scene Two: ‘Top Girls’ Employment Agency – Monday morning: Win * Nell have arrived at the ‘Top Girls’ Employment Agency **** morning. drink coffee * discuss the weekend until ***** arrives. Marlene Interviews Jeanine Interview: Louise * Win *** *** to see Marlene. Mrs Kid arrives challenge Marlene for ******* Howard’s Job. Nel interviews Shona Angie falls asleep Marlene’s office.
* 3: One Year Earlier: Joyce’s *** in Suffolk	* 3: One ** Earlier: Joyce’s House in Suffolk

TOP GIRLS STUDY GUIDE

1. SOCIO-POLITICAL CONTEXT

Feminism

Socialist Feminism

Time Period: The 1980s

Second-wave Feminism

Conservative Backlash

Rise of Postmodernism

Intersectionality

Setting

*** Thatcher era

Margaret Thatcher

Thatcherism

Class struggles

Changing Workplace dynamics

3. THEATRICAL INFLUENCES

Brecht’s Epic Theatre

Surrealism

Feminist Theatre

Historical Drama

Postmodernism

4. PLAYWRIGHT’S INTENTION

Feminist Critique

Interrogating Thatcherism

********** Innovation

Exploring Identity *** Authenticity

5. GENRE & STYLE

“*********** don’t give answers - instead they ask questions.” - Caryl Churchill

Postmodernism

REJECTION OF A ****** NARRATIVE

7. PLOT

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

*** THREE

8. LANGUAGE

9. STAGING

Stage and Set: Flexible

Props: Representative Props

Costumes: Period and Character-Driven

10. CHARACTERS

ACT 1: THE DINNER PARTY

*** 2: JOYCE’S HOME / MARLENE’S OFFICE

THE INTERVIEWS

11. SYMBOLS

ANGIE’S DRESS

CLOTHING

12. THEMES

Power, Success, and Individualism

********** and Solidarity

Women’s Stories and Identity

***** and Social Mobility

Life under the Patriarchy

Motherhood

13. RELEVANCE

14. REFERENCES

*“******* don’t give answers - instead they ask questions.” - Caryl Churchill*